CBI files case against Arunachal activist Bhanu Tatak over foreign funding violations

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Bhanu Tatak, a lawyer and environmental activist from Arunachal Pradesh, for allegedly violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). According to the first information report (FIR), the CBI alleges that Tatak received more than 17.6 lakh rupees from various foreign organizations and individuals directly into her personal savings bank account without the required registration or permission. The agency identified several overseas entities as sources of the funds, including the Philippines based Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy, Indigenous Peoples Rights International, Ireland based Front Line, and the UK based Human Rights Resource Centre.

Tatak serves as the legal adviser to the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF) and the coordinator of the civil society organization Dibang Resistance. Both she and these organizations have protested against the proposed 12,500 MW Siang Multipurpose Project and the 2,880 MW hydropower project on the Dibang River. The CBI alleges that the foreign funds were used to sustain these anti dam protests, which the agency claims adversely affect the economic and strategic interests of India. Additionally, the agency alleged that Tatak failed to file income tax returns between 2017 and 2026.

In September 2025, immigration authorities at Delhi airport stopped Tatak from boarding a flight to Ireland for a three month academic programme at Dublin City University. This action followed a lookout circular issued by the Arunachal Pradesh police. Tatak has stated that she is a law abiding citizen and is cooperating with authorities, noting that she has received scholarships and the Bhagirath Prayas Samman Award 2023 for river conservation. She previously described the travel ban as an arbitrary abuse of administrative power driven by corporate interests.

Reporting on the event differed by political lean. The center right source emphasized the potential threat to national strategic interests and noted Tatak's recent joining of the Indian National Congress. The left leaning source highlighted the perspective of the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum, which views the dam project as an existential threat to the indigenous Adi tribe.